The present invention relates to a surgical instrument and more particularly, to an arthroscopic/endoscopic surgical instrument which may be used to remove or otherwise treat tissue in a joint or other body space or a potential space.
Surgical instruments which may be used to remove tissue or perform other operations on tissue are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,499,899; 4,517,977; 4,649,919; 4,763,669; and 4,834,729. The surgical instruments disclosed in these patents have stem sections which extend outwardly from a handle. A cutting tool or other device is disposed at the outer end of the stem section. The stem section is rigid, and the cutting tool or other device can not be moved in different planes relative to the stem section. Other surgical instruments, in which a cutting tool is movable relative to the stem section, are shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,354,311, 5,330,502, 5,209,747, and 5,152,744.
In a first embodiment, the present invention is a surgical instrument comprising a manually engageable handle, a rigid stem section extending from the handle, and a tissue engaging means for engaging tissue. The tissue engaging means includes first and second tissue engaging members. The first tissue engaging member is pivotable relative to the second tissue engaging member to engage tissue between the first and second tissue engaging members. An articulated shaft is connected between the stem section and the tissue engaging means, and supports the tissue engaging means for movement between a plurality of orientations relative to the stem section. First actuator means is connected with the handle for bending the articulated shaft to change the orientation of the tissue engaging means relative to the stem section from a first orientation to a second orientation. Second actuator means is connected with the handle and with the first tissue engaging member for effecting pivotal movement of the first tissue engaging member relative to the second tissue engaging member to engage tissue between the first and second tissue engaging members when the tissue engaging means is in any of its plurality of orientations relative to the stem section.
In another embodiment, the present invention is a surgical instrument comprising a manually engageable handle, a first stem section having a longitudinal axis and extending from the handle, and tissue engaging means for engaging tissue. The tissue engaging means includes at least a first tissue engaging member. A second stem section is connected between the first stem section and the tissue engaging means. The second stem section has at least a portion which is bendable and supports the tissue engaging means for movement between a plurality of orientations relative to the axis and to the first stem section. The surgical instrument includes means for supporting the first tissue engaging member on the bendable portion of the second stem section, and means for bending the bendable portion of the second stem section to change the orientation of the tissue engaging means relative to the axis and to the first stem section from a first orientation to a second orientation. The bendable portion of the second stem section comprises means for enabling bending movement of the bendable portion to locate the tissue engaging means in an orientation extending 90xc2x0 to the longitudinal axis of the first stem section at more than one location along the length of the bendable portion.